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1. Aligning the purchase of green logistics practices between shippers and logistics service providers

Jazairy, Amer

University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Industrial Development, IT and Land Management, Industrial economics. University of Gävle, Center for Logistics and Innovative Production.

This paper explores shippers’ (i.e. logistics buyers) and logistics service providers’ (LSPs) perceptions of green concerns under diverse contractual settings during the key phases of the lo-gistics purchasing process: request for proposal, negotiations, contracting and execution. Accordingly, it derives recommendations that could increase the actors’ inter- and intra-organisational alignment on green targets throughout these phases. Empirical data are obtained from eight individual cases of three shippers and five LSPs, representing the buyer/seller roles within logistics arrangements. Contrary to previous literature holding the view that setting more green demands by shippers would guarantee green outcomes, the findings show that shippers’ green demands may hinder green logistics applications due to impediments to LSPs’ asset-sharing strategies. Also, a deadlock situation is revealed in the negotiations phase, where both actors await each other to introduce additional demands/offers - calling for further regulatory intervention to release this deadlock. Moreover, this paper shows how a mismatch of interests in contractual periods between shippers and LSPs can obstruct green investments - signalling that the green criterion is not the decisive factor in shaping shippers’ outsourcing strategies. The findings also stress a lack of follow-up efforts by shippers on green measures that were specified pre-contract, attributing this to contrasting intra-organisational objectives within shippers’ firms. This paper contributes to the green logistics purchasing literature by revealing how different contractual settings play an important role in shaping shippers’/LSPs’ perceptions of green concerns during the logistics purchasing process. Further, it is one of the first studies to provide phase-specific recommendations to increase the actors’ alignment on green targets.

2. Exploring shippers, logistics service providers and their relationships in facilitating green logistics

Jazairy, Amer

University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Industrial Development, IT and Land Management, Industrial economics. University of Gävle, Center for Logistics and Innovative Production. KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.

The logistics industry causes various harms to the environment. The literature assigns the main responsibility for alleviating such harms to two supply chain actors: shippers (logistics buyers) and logistics service providers (LSPs), which motivated studying them in this thesis. Specifically, this thesis explores and identifies how green logistics practices can be facilitated through aligning both actors throughout the different phases of their relationships. Two studies are compiled. The first study is based on five distinct cases -- three shippers and five LSPs, providing the basis for two papers: (i) one that analyses the institutional pressures (regulatory, market, competitive) on shippers to purchase green logistics services, and on LSPs to provide these services, and (ii) one that investigates the two actors’ stances on environmental concerns in the four key logistics purchasing phases (request for proposal, negotiations, contracting, execution), while proposing ways to align their efforts along such phases. The second study covers a single case of a dyadic relationship between a shipper and its LSP, handling enhancing logistics performance (cost efficiency, on-time delivery) in the early stages of their relationship. The findings indicate a general lack of regulatory pressure in driving shippers and LSPs to engage in green logistics, contrasted by a long-term influence of competitive pressure and a prevalent influence of market pressure. It was also found that both actors must put substantial efforts in the beginning of their relationships to reach a mutual business understanding, allowing performance and green enhancements. In the execution, it was found that both partners should regularly communicate performance metrics while modifying working standards, which would also support their green practices. For practitioners, insights are offered to align shippers’ and LSPs’ efforts within their relationships to attain positive performance and green outcomes.

3. Harmonising the purchase of green logistics services between shippers and logistics service providers

Jazairy, Amer

University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Industrial Development, IT and Land Management, Industrial economics. University of Gävle, Center for Logistics and Innovative Production.

This paper explores the behaviours of shippers (logistics buyers) and logistics service providers (LSPs) towards environmental concerns during three phases of the logistics purchasing process: request for proposal, negotiations, and contracting. Empirical data is obtained from eight individual cases of three shippers and five LSPs within Sweden and Germany. Findings indicate that despite all recent environmental efforts, price and service levels still occupy the highest priorities when selecting LSPs, whereas green criteria are frequently overlooked. This paper offers insights for managers within shipper and LSP firms to harmonise their efforts during the purchasing process to successfully implement green logistics conducts.

4. How to start up TPL relationships within offshoring contexts

Jazairy, Amer

et al.

University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Industrial Development, IT and Land Management, Industrial economics. University of Gävle, Center for Logistics and Innovative Production.

Lenhardt, Johannes

von Haartman, Robin

University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Industrial Development, IT and Land Management, Industrial economics. University of Gävle, Center for Logistics and Innovative Production.

This study proposes instructions to initiate relationships correctly between shippers andtheir third-party logistics (TPL) providers within an offshore outsourcing context. Thishas been achieved through studying four factors influencing relationship outcomes (trust,communication, culture, work agreements). The theoretical foundation is merged withthe empirical findings obtained from a case study examining an infant relationshipbetween a Swedish telecom provider, Ericsson, and its TPL in Saudi Arabia, Aramex.The findings recommend exerting extensive efforts from both sides in the build-up stageof TPL relationships in order to avoid potential shortcomings in the execution stage.

5. Improving logistics performance in cross-border 3PL relationships

Jazairy, Amer

et al.

University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Industrial Development, IT and Land Management, Industrial economics. University of Gävle, Center for Logistics and Innovative Production.

Lenhardt, Johannes

von Haartman, Robin

University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Industrial Development, IT and Land Management, Industrial economics. University of Gävle, Center for Logistics and Innovative Production.

This paper proposes guidelines for improving logistics performance in terms of cost efficiency and on-time delivery in shipper–third-party logistics (3PL) provider relationships within an offshore outsourcing context. A conceptual framework is constructed based on a thorough literature review. Empirical data are collected through semi-structured interviews in a single-case study with a dyadic perspective, examining the 3PL relationship between Ericsson of Sweden and Aramex of Saudi Arabia. Accordingly, a revised framework is proposed after illustrating the case and merging the literature with practice. The findings highlight the impact of communication, trust, culture, system compliance, work agreements, and standardisation on cost efficiency and on-time delivery performance. The developed framework illustrates a sequential order for working on these factors to achieve performance improvement. This research is one of the first to propose guidelines for performance improvements within offshore outsourcing of 3PL services.

University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Industrial Management, Industrial Design and Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Management. University of Gävle, Center for Logistics and Innovative Production.

von Haartman, Robin

University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Industrial Management, Industrial Design and Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Management. University of Gävle, Center for Logistics and Innovative Production.

This paper applies institutional theory to analyse the institutional pressures (regulatory, market, competitive) experienced by two actors within supply chains: shippers (i.e. logistics buyers) and logistics service providers (LSPs). Both actors are subject to institutional pressures to adopt green supply chain management practices, which could drive shippers to purchase green logistics services from LSPs, and LSPs to provide them. Also, the two actors are influenced by various factors that moderate the level of pressures on them and the responses they undertake. This study examines these pressures and moderators in detail to analyse how they influence green logistics purchasing/providing decisions. Empirical data were obtained from eight individual cases of three shippers and five LSPs. Accordingly, we compare these pressures and moderators based on the actors’ different roles in the supply chain. The findings aim to contribute to advancing the theory through (i) incorporating the roles of the moderating factors and (ii) providing further applications within specific shipper-LSP contexts. Further, this paper aims to assist managers within shipper and LSP organisations by demonstrating how their firm and market characteristics moderate the pressures exerted on them to buy or provide green logistics services, while providing insights on issues influencing their responsiveness.

7. Assessing the gaps between shippers and logistics service providers on green logistics practices along the logistics purchasing process

Jazairy, Amer

et al.

University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Industrial Management, Industrial Design and Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Management. University of Gävle, Center for Logistics and Innovative Production.

von Haartman, Robin

University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Industrial Management, Industrial Design and Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Management. University of Gävle, Center for Logistics and Innovative Production.

Purpose: To assess the gaps between the engagements of shippers (logistics buyers) and logistics service providers (LSPs) in different green logistics practices along the key phases of the logistics purchasing process: request for proposal, negotiations, contracting and execution.

Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on a large scale survey of shippers and LSPs in Sweden. 331 companies (169 shippers; 162 LSPs) have responded. Data were analysed using independent sample T- tests and paired sample T-tests.

Findings: While our findings conform with previous studies asserting that LSPs engage more extensively in green logistics practices than shippers do, we show that such situation is not uniformly applicable to all practices nor all purchasing phases; three patterns emerged that depict the gapsbetween the actors’ engagements along the process: (i) steady and wide gap, (ii) steady and narrow gap, and (iii) emergent gap – each gap is associated with distinct practices.

Research limitations/implications: Contributing to the green logistics purchasing literature by creating three types of distinctions: (i) between shippers and LSPs, (ii) between different green logistics practices, and (iii) between different logistics purchasing phases. The survey covered actors in Sweden only, future studies could replicate the analysis in other countries.

Practical implications: Insights are offered for managers within shipper/LSP firms to help them in spotting the green practices that are least focused upon by their partners, thus enabling them to modify their purchasing/marketing strategies accordingly.

Social implications: Potentially contributing in reducing the carbon footprint of the logistics industry.

Original/value: The three types of distinctions is a novel outset within the contract logistics and green supply chain management bodies of literature.

8. Do relationships matter? Linking the advancement of shipper-logistics service provider relationships with green logistics implementation

Jazairy, Amer

et al.

University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Industrial Management, Industrial Design and Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Management. University of Gävle, Center for Logistics and Innovative Production.

von Haartman, Robin

University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Industrial Management, Industrial Design and Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Management. University of Gävle, Center for Logistics and Innovative Production.

The contract logistics literature implicitly suggests that establishing advanced relationships between shippers (logistics buyers) and logistics service providers (LSPs) plays a role in facilitating green logistics practices. We systematically test this claim through surveying 335 companies (170 shippers; 165 LSPs) in Sweden. Using factor- and multiple regression analyses, we confirm that implementing green logistics practices is influenced by advanced relationships settings, but not all practices adhere to this. Also, a distinction is made on whether relationship advancement is expressed by the contract design or the degree of integration between the partners; the former better explains the implementation of the practices.

University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Industrial Development, IT and Land Management, Industrial economics. University of Gävle, Center for Logistics and Innovative Production.

von Haartman, Robin

University of Gävle, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, Department of Industrial Development, IT and Land Management, Industrial economics. University of Gävle, Center for Logistics and Innovative Production.

This study aims to identify the main drivers for engaging in sustainability practices in shipper-third-party logistics (3PL) provider relationships, and differentiate between both actors’ perspectives based on their roles within 3PL arrangements. A literature review is conducted to outline the main drivers for each actor among different academic themes. Then, data obtained from an explorative multiple-case study involving two large shippers and two large 3PL providers is illustrated and critically analysed. The drivers are sorted in a matrix that demonstrates nine categories to enable distinguishing both actors’ perceptions accurately. Detecting variations among the actors’ viewpoints on the drivers enables future research to focus on aligning both actors together to realise positive sustainable change.